Last month has seen a slew of scandals in conservative political circles that have shaken the public’s already dwindling confidence in their political systems of governance, while simultaneously drawing their attention to the previously unappreciated role of the chief of staff.
Two chiefs of staff lie at the centre of two growing political controversies: Nigel Wright, whose resignation from the Prime Minister’s Office came after he gave $90,000 to Senator Mike Duffy , and Mark Towhey, who was swiftly shown the door by beleaguered Toronto mayor Rob Ford.
These events have been discussed ad nauseam in the print media. That being said, the incidents of the last month lend themselves to a wider and more critical examination of the role of the chief of staff and an exploration of the risks associated with being a political powerhouse in an administration besieged by controversy.
On The Agenda, Steve Paikin hosted several former chiefs of staff to discuss the responsibilities of what might be considered “the second most powerful position in politics.” The panel consistently suggested that a major part of being a chief of staff was acting as the face of their respective political leader in stakeholder meetings or finding solutions to problems that had the potential to be damaging to the administration. “In many ways, people need to know that when they’re talking to me, they are talking to the Premier,” said Peter Wilkinson, former chief of staff to Dalton McGuinty.
This reality stands in stark contrast to the general lack of public knowledge surrounding the role of the chief of staff in politics.
One thing that is essential when assessing the responsibilities of chief of staff is a necessarily high level of competence, experience, and political knowledge. Nigel Wright, a U of T graduate himself, was fundamental in the strategy and development of the Reform Party. Prior to his appointment as chief of staff, he served as a broker of multi-million dollar deals at Gerald Schwartz’s private equity firm Onex — a job that netted him far more than his government salary.
Mark Towhey attended the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario, and after spending his career as a management consultant working with various private and public sector clients in Canada and the United States, was promoted from Director of Policy and Strategic Planning to Ford’s chief of staff. Once again, his foray into politics represented a decrease in his earnings.
The backgrounds of these men and the insight provided to the public by former chiefs of staff, such as David Lindsay, about the job’s responsibilities give greater clarity to the events that transpired. Lindsay, who served under former Ontario Premier Mike Harris says, “part of being the face for the leader of a government, is also bearing the responsibility when things don’t go as planned. You are cannon fodder and you go into this knowing at some point you might be thrown under the bus to protect your leader.” It is clear that when a political scandal, like the Rob Ford drug allegations, suddenly becomes public, the staffer charged with protecting the leader will likely get the boot. In the case of Nigel Wright’s bailing out Mike Duffy over his housing expenses, Stephen Harper was provided with a substantial cushion of protection when Wright resigned and maintained that the PMO had not known about the transaction. Although, as we can see from both men’s backgrounds, their ouster will not impact their future employability in any meaningful way.
If anything, with such great risk comes substantial reward. For chiefs of staff, whose tenures often allow them to gain access to various political power players, curried favour can serve as a powerful kickback. Much has been made public in recent days about the severance package to be received by Nigel Wright upon his exit from the PMO, despite the Treasury Board President Tony Clement’s continued promises to cut down on voluntary severance to public servants. Furthermore, many ex-chiefs of staff are successful in finding jobs in the consulting industry and in political cross-appointments to ambassadorial positions, or, in the case of Mulroney’s chief of staff Hugh Segal, into the Canadian Senate.
Of greatest concern to many participating in the public discourse surrounding the subject is the overwhelming lack of accountability that exists with a position like chief of staff. As an unelected civil servant, who has a direct line of communication with the Mayor, Premier, or Prime Minister, these men often have a lot of political power. As Steve Paikin is quick to remind his viewers, “if a chief of staff approaches a Minister suggesting that the Premier has a dog in the race surrounding a charged political issue, they are, in effect, helping shape policy.” This power, coupled with the knowledge that, in many cases, men like Wright or Towhey can resign comfortably into lucrative private sector jobs after their political tenure ends, means there is a lack of checks and balances on these positions that so few know anything about.
Kaleem Hawa is entering second year at U of T.
